Flannery's Reviews

Anna Hibiscus lives in Africa, and she’s very happy there with her friends and family. But there’s one thing Africa can’t give her: Anna wants to see snow! This is a sweet, fun book about a charming, clever girl. If you’ve got a young reader who’s burned through Ivy & Bean, Judy Moody, or Junie B. Jones, give them the Anna Hibiscus series, and they’ll find a kindred spirit!  --Flannery

I think Miss Rumphius is a perfect children’s book. Based on a real woman, it tells the story of a lady who spends her youth adventuring, and her elder days scattering lupine seeds wherever she goes—making the world a more beautiful place. I love the message that something as small as scattering seeds can bring such joy to the world, and Cooney’s gorgeous illustrations bring me joy.
  --Flannery

Honestly, almost any Bill Peet book could go on this list. Clever, funny, with silly rhyming words to rival Dr. Seuss, Bill Peet’s books are perfect for children. His colored pencil drawings are wonderful, and his stories have a flow and cadence that makes them perfect for reading out loud.  --Flannery

This is my favorite Roald Dahl book. For one, what child’s dream isn’t to be in a candy factory like that? Charlie and the Chocolate Factory is sweet and heartwarming, dark and funny. I tear up every time I read the part where Charlie finds the golden ticket. To me, this is pure literary magic.  --Flannery

This fictionalized story of real-life heroine Charley Parkhurst inspired me as a little girl. Parkhurst was a woman who, disguised as a man, became one of the most daring stagecoach drivers ever and was the first woman to legally vote. As a lover of horses and a tomboy, this book made me believe I could do anything. Plus, it boasts ink illustrations by none other than Brian Selznick.  --Molly

This is another series that I’ve read so many times that the covers are falling off. Beginning with Alanna, it follows Alanna of Trebond, a young girl who disguises herself as her twin brother in order to become a knight. Full of friends and enemies, swordplay and sorcery, talking animals and adventures, this quartet is not only awesome in it’s own right, it launches a whole new world with other books and stories. For me, Alanna is the ultimate heroine.  --Flannery

In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, Memorial Hospital became known as the hospital that euthanized patients during the flood. The truth, however, is infinitely more complicated than that, and in this brilliant, completely engrossing book, Sheri Fink tells the whole story from every angle she can. This book sucked me in, didn’t let go, and left me stunned. I cannot recommend it highly enough.  —Flannery

If you’ve heard of a criminal profiler, you have John Douglas to thank. He was one of the first to explore at the psyche of a killer to predict their next move and help law enforcement catch the worst killers imaginable. In this memoir, Douglas recounts the early days of profiling and talks about killers we all know of—including Santa Cruz serial killer Edmund Kemper. Warning: It’s about serial killers. It gets nasty. —Flannery